Ken Skates AS/MS Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ein cyf/Our ref KS/04357/20 Janet Finch-Saunders MS Chair, Petitions Committee 17 July 2020 Dear Janet Thank you for your letter of 9 July as Chair of the Petitions Committee following the Committee’s meeting of 23 July. You say that, at the meeting, members agreed to write to me to ask whether the Welsh Government’s desire to maintain the potential for rail services to be reinstated in the future - between Gaerwen, Llangefni and Amlwch – have been impacted by the effects of Covid-19 on public transport. Covid 19 has had an impact on current public transport operations, which we are beginning to build back up. For the future, we have to believe that the crisis will be overcome in due course and will continue unremittingly with our strong commitment to improvements in public transport infrastructure and services to further improve access across Wales to welcoming, attractive, comfortable and affordable services. Increased investment will be a major contribution to improved rail connectivity, supercharge our post Covid19 recovery, and develop our public transport for the future Rail infrastructure continues as the non-devolved responsibility of the UK Government, where we have suffered from historic under investment, and we have made clear our strong view that there is a compelling case for the full devolution of responsibility for rail infrastructure alongside a fair funding settlement in both our response to the UK Government’s Williams Rail Review, and our rail vision publication A Railway for Wales – meeting the needs of future generations, as per the following links: https://gov.wales/written-statement-williams-rail-review https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-09/a-railway-for-wales-the-case-for- devolution.pdf The Committee may wish to note that A Railway for Wales sets out our Strategic Railway Development Programme, with a series of illustrative maps, which we would wish to pursue Canolfan Cyswllt Cyntaf / First Point of Contact Centre: 0300 0604400 Bae Caerdydd • Cardiff Bay [email protected] Caerdydd • Cardiff [email protected] CF99 1SN Rydym yn croesawu derbyn gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn ateb gohebiaeth a dderbynnir yn Gymraeg yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi. We welcome receiving correspondence in Welsh. Any correspondence received in Welsh will be answered in Welsh and corresponding in Welsh will not lead to a delay in responding. and develop should we be granted full devolution and a fair funding settlement. This includes future major strategic corridor developments. In terms of north – south connectivity, this includes enhanced connectivity from Ynys Môn to Bangor, Caernarfon, through Dolgellau, Aberystwyth and to Swansea Carmarthen and South West Wales. This may include upgraded lines, reopened lines and new lines, as well as integration with bus services. I have included the reopening of the Gaerwen – Llangefni – Amlwch line as a key future priority in correspondence with the Secretary of State for Transport, and enclose my letters of 2 March and 4 June which specifically reference this. My officials are making a submission to the UK Government for support under their Restoring Your Railways fund for a study to progress this reopening in terms of developing the strategic case and consulting community interests. Part of the proposal would see the inclusion of cycle facilities along the route where possible to encourage the use of walking and cycling as the natural choice for local journeys, in line with Welsh Government Active Travel policy. It will seek to accommodate, alongside restored rail operations, parallel active travel and heritage rail operations. We propose to work with local stakeholders in the development of the proposal and to invite them to input into the process. This will include local authorities, community groups, the heritage railway and active travel interests. Yours sincerely Ken Skates AS/MS Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates AC/AM Gweinidog dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth Minister for Economy and Transport Ref: KS/135/20 Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP Secretary of State for Transport [email protected] 2 March 2020 Dear Grant, I am writing in response to your recent announcement of Restoring your Railway fund. Rail infrastructure in Wales has, and continues to be starved of investment to improve the network. Wales has 11% of GB’s track miles, 5% of the population and, since 2010, has received less than 2% of GB’s rail enhancement spend. We have a shared interest in addressing climate change, improving air quality and relieving congestion but to do this we will need to provide viable alternatives to the private car. As you are aware, to address these issues, we have developed an ambitious programme of rail enhancements for Wales, including re-opening closed lines and stations (see example schemes in Annex 1), to remedy the pattern of rail investment that has for too long offered limited benefits to Wales. While the Welsh Government welcome this new funding and the focus, that we share, on connecting communities, I am concerned that the application process and timescales will not deliver the potential benefits that this funding could bring. This is particularly the case in Wales where responsibilities and funding for services lie with the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government can support the development and delivery of this programme, with appropriate local community and political input, through a fair allocation of this funding for enhancements in Wales to develop a comparable rail infrastructure enhancement programme. This includes enhancements to rail connectivity with England identified in our Mid Wales and Shropshire cross-border strategy developed with Midlands Connect and Shropshire Council. We would also be willing to offer appropriate support for ideas that we anticipate to be proposed by sponsoring MPs in Wales that you receive and will be going through our own prioritisation process, for example Greenfield and Magor stations. The decision to proceed with HS2 comes at considerable cost to the tax payer. The scheme will only deliver significant benefits to North Wales if the right solution is adopted for the Crewe hub and if electrification from Crewe to Chester and onward to Holyhead is also delivered. This work is vitally important if the U.K. Government wishes to address the north- south divide and improve the economic prospects of North Wales and the Mersey Dee Area. Bae Caerdydd • Cardiff Bay Canolfan Cyswllt Cyntaf / First Point of Contact Centre: Caerdydd • Cardiff 0300 0604400 CF99 1NA [email protected] Looking ahead, the full devolution of rail infrastructure powers and a fair funding settlement as we set out in our evidence to the Williams Review and recently to our newly elected MPs (Annex 3) is the only rational long-term solution to achieve our shared integrated public transport network ambitions, recognising that via Transport for Wales we already have the capability, capacity and experience to make a success of full devolution. Our ambition for the railways, including full devolution, has received strong and consistent cross-party support in Wales and I would expect MPs to also support these proposals. I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State for Wales, all MPs in Wales, and other affected MPs. Yours sincerely Ken Skates AC/AM Gweinidog dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth Minister for Economy and Transport Annex 1 Potential Scheme in Wales for Restoring your Railway Funding Ideas Fund Porthcawl – Bridgend (Chris Elmore MP – Ogmore, Dr Jamie Wallis – Bridgend) Pontyclun – Beddau (Alex Davies-Jones MP – Pontypridd) Aberdare – Hirwaun – Neath (Beth Winter MP – Cynon Valley, Christina Rees MP – Neath) Ystrad Mynach – Treharris (Wayne David MP – Caerphilly, Gerald Jones MP – Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) Gaerwen – Amlwch (Virginia Crosby MP – Ynys Mon) Pontypool – Usk (Nick Thomas-Symonds MP – Torfaen, David Davies MP – Monmouth) Coryton extension (Anna McMorrin MP – Cardiff North. Alex Davies-Jones MP – Pontypridd) Pye Corner – Machen and Caerphilly (Ruth Jones MP – Newport West. Wayne David MP – Caerphilly) North West Cardiff (Kevin Brennan MP – Cardiff West) Porth – Maerdy (Chris Bryant MP – Rhondda) Blaenau – Trawsfynydd (Liz Saville Roberts MP – Dwyfor Meirionnydd) Acceleration Fund Wrexham – Gresford - Rossett and further north (Sarah Atherton MP – Wrexham; Chris Matheson MP – City of Chester) Wrexham to Liverpool Lime Street (Kim Johnson MP - Liverpool, Riverside; Mark Whitley MP - Birkenhead; Angela Eagle – Wallasey; Alison McGovern MP – Wirral South; Margaret Greenwood MP – Wirral West; Justin Madders MP – Ellesmere Port; Mark Tami MP – Alyn and Deeside) Abertillery (Nick Smith MP – Blaenau Gwent) Tondu – Pontycymmer (Chris Elmore MP – Ogmore) Cambrian mainline (Craig Williams MP – Montgomeryshire; Daniel Kawczynski MP - Shrewsbury and Atcham) Aberystwyth – Carmarthen (Ben Lake MP – Ceredigion, Jonathan Edwards MP – Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) New Stations Fund 3 Deeside (Mark Tami MP – Alyn and Deeside) Carno (Craig Williams MP – Montgomeryshire) St Clears (Simon Hart MP – Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire) Ely Mill/Victoria Park (Kevin Brennan MP – Cardiff West) Annex 2 Y Gwir Anrh/ Rt Hon Mark Drakeford AC/AM Prif Weinidog Cymru/First Minister of Wales The Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London [email protected] 11 February 2020 Your announcement today that the HS2 project will proceed confirms an unprecedented investment in rail services in England. This will continue a pattern of rail investment that has systematically neglected Wales. In accordance with your plan to level up economic growth across the UK, I urge you to take action to remedy this. Over the past 25 years, the railway in Wales has been starved of investment. Wales has 11% of GB's track miles, 5% of the population and since 2010 has received only 2% of GB's rail enhancement spend.